Automatic vacuum-cleaner.



G, v. RASMUSSEN. AUTOMATIC VACUUM CLEANER.

APPLI CATION FILED FEB. 16. l9ll.

' Patented Aug. 13, 1918 IIVVENTOR GEORGE M HASMUSSEN ATTORNEYS GEORGEV. RASMUSSEN,OF NEW YORK, N; Y.

AUTOMATIC VACUUM-CLEANER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Aug. 13, 1918 Application filed February 16, 1911. Serial No.009,007.

To all whom it may concern. Be' it known that L'Gnoncn V. Rasmussen, acitizen of the United States, and resident of the cit of NewYork, countyof. Rich mond, an State of New York, have invented certain newlandusefulImprovements in Automatic Vacuum Gleaners, of which thefollowing is aspecification.

My invention relates to vacuum cleaners, or sweepers as they aresometimes called. More particularly my invention relatesto a type ofvacuum cleaner in which the cleansing tool and the suction producingmechanism is incorporated into asingle compact and organized structurewhich is moved as a whole over the floor or surface to be cleaned withthe cleansing tool in contact with said surface the suction beingautomatically pro duced by virtue and in consequence of such movement. Itherefore provide a manually operated cleaner which requires but oneperson for its operation. t a i The object of my invention is to providea cleaner as aforesaid, which can be guided and operated by one person,which requires no power other than that expended by the operator as hemovesit. over the fioor, which holdsthe cleaning tool proper withconstant hll pressure and at a suitable, preferably constant, angletothesurface whlch is being cleaned while at the same time providingadjustment for any inequalities 1n said surface, and which providesfurther a uniform, continuous and ample suction for the purposesintended. A further object of my invention is to provide a cleaner asaforesaid of simple construction with all parts easily and quicklyaccessible, and of durable construction. Other objects will appear asthe specification proceeds.

In the drawings Figure 1 represents a side elevation of a preferred formof cleaner made according to my invention; Fig. 2 represents the same inrear elevation; Fig. 3 represents a central lon itudinal section takenalong the line 3-3 Fig. 2; and Fig. 4: is a plan view from above of thesame cleaner.

Referring to the drawings, a main casmg 1 of wood or sheet metal iscarried upon a system of four wheels 2 arranged in palrs, and providedwith a yoke 3, pivotally attached to the casing, having a handleArranged oppositely to one another withm the casing are fixed members 5and 5 of two bellows 6 and 6 these members extendclear across the casingand ing substantiall he sides and bottom of said forming with t casing arectangular suction chamber 7 a cover 8 having attached thereto a dustbag 9 closes the-suction chamber above. Downwardly convexed leaf-springs10 and 11 pivoted to the casing at 12 and adapted to be swung down oversaid cover so as to be fastened in position by catches 13 are providedto hold this cover in position; leaf spring '11 has-riveted to its underside a subcover 14 adapted to engage snugly a suitable opening in cover8 and giving access to the interior of the dust bag.

An inlet fixture 15, hollowed below to correspond with an opening in thecover 8,

is fixed to the top of said cover and provided with a nozzle 16 overwhich is slipped I a piece of flexible rubber tubing 17 the other end ofsaidtubing being engaged with the end of the tube 18 which carries atits extremity the cleaning tool proper 19. Tube 18 is carried upon thefront end of casin 1 by two brackets 20 and21 carrying co-axlal bearings20, 21, the latter being set somewhat in advance of the former, in whichtube 18 is slidably held. An adjustable screw nut 22 fixed to tube 18 alittle above bearing 21' forms an abutment between which and bracket 20'is fitted a spiral spring 23 which operates to press tube 18downwardly'until stopped by a second adjustable nut 24 abutting againstthe top of upper bracket 20'. By means of the two nuts 22 and 24 thepressure with which the cleaning tool 19 engages the surface to becleaned may be adjusted.

Each bellows 6 and 6' is provided with a movable member 25 and 25connected by a link 26, 26 to a crank 27, 27' formed at the center ofthe two axles joining the two pairs of wheels and to which the wheelsare rigidly fixed. Each axle is rotatably supported in bearings 28, 28attached to the inclined front and back of easing 1.

Opposite ends of each axle just within the wheels 2 are provided withoppositely turned cranks 29, 29, the cranks belonging to wheels on eachside of the case being joined by links 30. The central cranks 27 27' areset, with reference to one another, at an angle of so that when onebellows is fully expanded the other is fully closed and vice versa, thebellows being operated alternately. i

each bellows is provided with flap valves 31 in the usual way, so thatas each bellows opens air is drawn up through the cleaning tool 19 thetubes 18, 17 and the fixture 15 through the dust bag 9 into saidbellows, and as the bellows closes said volume of air is passed outthrough the movable member into the atmosphere.

To prevent the. suction from either bellows drawing up the dust bag 9against the fixed member of said bellows so as to stop off the openingof its flap valve I prefer to attach a still rectangular bottom 32 tothe lower end of said dust ha and to said bottom a pair of longitudinaly arranged strips 33 extending over nearly theentire space between thebellows members 5 and 5 which form-the opposite sides of suction chamber7. This bottom and strips also serve to kee the dust bag fully extendedand disten ed and from becoming twisted in any axles to which they wa inthe suction chamber.

he cleaning tool 19 has swiveled engagement with the tube 18 and isjoined, near opposite ends, to the casing 1 by spiral springs 34.

In operation my improved cleaner is simly moved forward and backward,-oreither orward or backward, the direction of movement being immaterial,by means of the handle 4 over the surface to be cleaned; should thecleaning tool 19 press against said surface with too much or too littlepressure a turn or two given to the adjustable nuts 22 and 24 willenable the desired quality of engagement to be quickly secured. thismovement takes place the wheels 2 are revolved as one system turning thetwo are fixed and alternately operating the bellows 6 and 6 through thecentral cranks 27, 27 and links 26, 26' so as to produce a substantiallycontinuous suction in the suction chamber 7 resulting in a continuousinrush of dust laden air into and through the dust ba 9 the dustremaining behind within said ag.

Should the cleaning tool 19 meet with an obstruction as to either endwhile my cleaner is being1 operated the tool will turn pivotally upon te tube 18 against the resistance of the springs 34 but will be instantlyrestored to position when the obstruction is removed.

This condition is most likely to take place when the cleaner is run tooclose to a wainscotingor piece of furniture and at an angle. Cleaningtools of any desired type may readily be substituted for the tool shownin the drawings by disengaging the springs 34, any known type ofremovable swivel joint being employed for holding the cleaning tool inplace.

0 remove the dust and clean out the dust bag it is only necessary tolift the two leaf springs 10 and 11 and remove the bag by lifting awaythe cover 8; the dustand bearin surface to be cleaned at speedsapproximately those used with known suction cleaning tools connectedwith stationary or other suction a paratus. There being but few t esemay be made of the most approve type without materially adding to thecost of construction so that most of the power required to o erate thecleaner goes to the working of e bellows and the production of suction.

Having described my invention, I claim:

1. In a vacuum cleaner the combination of a casing provided with asuction chamber, wheels supporting said casing, a cleaning tool carriedby said casing and adapted to be turned with respect thereto about anupright axis, springs for resisting said tuming movement, a suction pumpattached to said casing, a dust be within the suction chamber betweenthe c eaning tool and the suction pum and means connected with thewheels and t e suction pump for operating said ump.

2. a vacuum cleaner of the class described the combination of a casing,a cleaning tool carried by said casing and rotatably and verticallymovable relatively thereto, resilient means for pressing said tooldownwardly and resilient means for resisting a rotative movementthereof.

3. In a vacuum cleaner of the class described the combination of abracket, a cleaning tool slidably and pivotally supported by saidbracket, springs engaging said bracket and said tool for pressing thelatter downward, and springs engaged with said tool for resistin itspivotal movement.

4. In a vacuum 0 eaner of the class described the combination of apivotally and slidably supported clean tool adapted to move up and down,yie ding means for pressing said tool downward, and yielding means forresisting ivotal movement.

5. In a vacuum 0 eaner of the class described the combination of apivotally and slidably supported cleaning tool adapted to move up anddown, and yielding means for pressing said tool downward, saiddownwardly acting yielding means being adjustable as to the force itexer 6. In a vacuum cleaner, the combination of a casing carried uponwheels and provided with a suction chamber, a cleaning tool carried bysaid casing and adapted to turn about an upright axis, yielding meansfor resisting said turning movement, and a suction pump operativelyconnected with said wheels for drawing air through the cleaning tool tothe suction chamber.

7. In a vacuum cleaner, a support, a cleaning tool movably carriedthereby, means for positionmg' said tool at var distances from thesurface on which tool is operating and a spring exerting a downwardpressure on said tool. v

8. In a vacuum cleaner asupport, a cleaning tool movably carriedthereby, means for positioning said tool at varying distances from thesurface on which said tool is operating, a spring exerting a downwardpres- 15 sure on said tool and means for adjusting the tension of saidssring to vary the' degree oflplressure upon sai tool.

testimony whereof I have hereunto set my handin the presence of twosubscribing 20 wltnesses.

GEORGE V. RASMUSSEN.

Witnesses:

Emu G. Wnmromm, Jomr A. Knnmmmcx.

